America is not defined by ancestry.
America is defined by a rulebook.
That rulebook is the United States Constitution.
It exists for one reason: to restrain power when government takes liberty away from THE PEOPLE.
When that power is not restrained by law, it can be abused. Many families in this district understand that better than most.
People here came from Cuba.
From Colombia.
From Venezuela.
From Nicaragua.
Many came because they saw what happens when governments stop following laws. They came to a country that promised something better. That promise is the United States Constitution.
The rules are clear.
A promise has been made.
The Constitution guarantees due process. It requires the government to follow fair legal procedures before it detains or removes someone from this country. Courts have long recognized that these protections apply to all persons inside the United States, not only citizens. That principle matters because the power of government is enormous.
Actually take a moment to imagine this. Imagine being accused - wrongly - of not belonging here. Imagine being taken away from your family and placed in detention before you even have the chance to prove who you are. If that happened to you, would you want the protection of the Constitution long enough to make your case? Should the government be able to send you away first and ask questions later?
That is not a theoretical question. Across this country and my district, families, including American families, have already experienced the consequences when enforcement ignores the rulebook. Public safety matters. Genuine threats should be taken seriously. But here in America, are the good guys! We must treat people fairly and humanely at all times.
The rulebook matters because power, once unchecked, can lead to tyranny.
The Constitution is not a suggestion, it is the promise that power will always answer to the law.
The Constitution says that in America, every person deserves the chance to be heard before their freedoms are taken away.
If a system repeatedly violates constitutional protections and harms communities, it is our duty to see that it STOPS.
Here in Florida's 26th district, they decided to build a detention center, “Alligator Alcatraz”, in the heart of one of the most fragile ecosystems in America: the Everglades. The Everglades are not just a landscape. They are the source of drinking water for millions of Floridians. They are home to rare wildlife and ecosystems that exist nowhere else on earth.
People detained at “Alligator Alcatraz” describe overflowing toilets near sleeping areas, constant lighting, insects, poor food and water, lack of privacy, inadequate medical care, and the use of a tiny punishment cage known as “the box.” These are very serious allegations about how our government is treating people in its custody. This matters more because I.C.E. has documented case of detaining U.S. citizens.
More than $406M was pulled from the state of Florida's emergency response fund since August 2025. This is money that would otherwise go toward disaster preparedness/relief. Florida has sustained damage from a major hurricane (Category 3+) in 2022, 2023, and 2024, but caught a break in 2025.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
